


Memories that Chain the Mind

by redd093



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Fiction, Gen, Literature, Short Stories, family life, prose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 05:55:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1458391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redd093/pseuds/redd093





	Memories that Chain the Mind

"It's her eyes; it has to be. It's the way they shimmer in the sun, almost as if they were made of water.  Or maybe it's the fact that when she's sad, they darken, and when she's happy, they brighten. It could be the way she squints them whenever I make her laugh; which makes me think 

"No, it's not her eyes; they're only a part of it. It's really her voice. When she's startled, she squeaks. When she's happy, or angry, she becomes loud and clear, like she wants to let everyone know what she has to say. And when she's sad, or embarrassed, she becomes quiet and starts to mumble, like she's afraid of what she might say or who might hear. When she laughs, it's not a giggle or a chuckle. She laughs whole heartedly, not caring who hears, and it really brightens up her face; which is why I love making her laugh so much. And when she laughs, she laughs so loudly that her body shakes, and her hair bounces. 

"But wait, it's not just her voice, it's her hair. It's always long, either past her waist or simply just past her shoulders, and I always love cuddling close to her and burying my face in it, just to get a whiff. It's straight and was originally blond, but not now. It seems like her hair color changes every other month, and she never tells me what color it's going to be next. I guess she like's surprising me. Oh, but then again, maybe it's not her hair. 

"No, it's all of the simple and yet amazing things I've learned about her. She used to keep me at arms distance, both physically and emotionally. She didn't exactly have a nice childhood, and that meant that she wasn't very trusting. But I'm such a stubborn bastard, that I finally wore her down and she started letting me in, little by little. And now I simply can't get enough of her. I found out that she didn't like talking to people who were taller than her because in school, she was always picked on for being short. So whenever I wanted to really talk to her, I learned that if I sat down, she would open up more. I also found out that even though she has an average weight, she loves to eat. And since she didn't have anyone at home to cook for her, she learned to cook herself. That's why she's so good at it. Oh, and when she's playing a sport or a game, she hates to lose, but she also hates to win. She thinks it's no fun if it's all one sided. And that's also how it is with our relationship. She hates it when I buy her things because she's proud, so she tries to get even by buying me something. And I have to pry it out of her when she wants something, because she hates feeling even the slightest bit weak. But when she told me she loved me, she also said that she hated me, because I make her feel weak. But it's okay now because she feels comfortable with me knowing her secrets; partly because she knows mine too. 

"Actually, I guess it's all of those things. It's just the way she makes me feel. She's the most amazing woman I've ever known, and when she tells me that she loves me, my heart starts to flutter. We've been married for six years and we've been together for sixteen, and the way that I feel about her hasn't changed once. I guess you could say that I just love everything about your mother." 

The man smiled and bounced his six year old daughter on his knee. He had enjoyed explaining to her what it was about her mother that he loved the most. 

But the little blonde girl looked confused. "But Daddy, why do you keep talking like Mommy's still here?" The man's eyes widened a little. "You told me that you got married when you learned that I was on the way, and that Mommy passed away a couple of weeks after I was born. Was that a lie? Is Mommy still alive?" 

Suddenly, the pain that had been in the man's chest came crashing down on him once again. The same pain he had felt ever since his wife had died. His mined has slipped again, only this time it was in front of his daughter. "No, Cadence, honey. I must have miss-spoke. I'm sorry. Mommy's not still alive. She really did pass away." 

"Oh" The tears that he was fighting back started to well up even more when he noticed that Cadence looked down sadly with tears of her own. But for his daughter, he would do anything; even lock away his pain for her sake.

He picked up his daughter and placed her on the floor in front of him. "Now come on, Cadence, don't cry. Remember that Grandma and Grandpa are coming here to visit today, so you have to go put on that new dress you wanted to show them."

As if a light bulb went off in her little head, Cadence's eyes opened wide and she gasped. She giggled and ran into her room, obviously trying to find the dress her father was talking about. 

When the man's parents finally arrived, he hugged them both and smiled. "How have you been?"

His father was about to speak, but Cadence pulled him away to share all of the amazing and wonderful things she had experienced since she had last seen him. The man's mother laughed and squeezed his shoulder. "We've been well. What about you? You haven't been to that doctor for a few months now."

"Mom, I'm fine. I stopped seeing him because I was feeling better."

"You know, any time you want us to take Cadence for a weekend or so, we'd be more than happy to oblige."

"Yeah, you've offered before. But school's coming up soon, and I don't think I want to see her leave for anywhere until then. After all." More tears welled up but he still fought them back.

His mother squeezed his shoulder tighter. "I know, son. After all, how could you ever want to part with her? She is the spitting image of her mother." The man's eyes opened wider, but his mother continued. "She has the same blue eyes, the same blond hair, even the same voice, albeit a bit higher pitched at the moment." The tears then began to roll freely from his eyes, and when his father noticed, he pulled Cadence away for the surprise they had brought her. But his mother continued still, quieter this time. "Just please, son. Promise me that you make sure you're completely fine. Because while your wife may be gone, that little girl out there needs you as much as you need her." And he knew that his mother was right, because his chest was suddenly filled with such an unbearable pain, that he broke down and began to cry uncontrollably, as his mother held him firmly, rubbing his back. And in the driveway, Cadence was able to hear, but not understand, her father's screams of anguish.


End file.
